John E. Hampson, a well known citizen of Farm Ridge township, LaSalle county, Illinois, dates his identification with this place from 1865. The record of his life and ancestry, briefly given, is as follows:
John E. Hampson was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, October 16, 1848, son of John B. Hampson, one of the venerable citizens of Farm Ridge, Illinois. John B. Hampson, also a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, was born March 16, 1815, a son of Daniel and grandson of Joseph Hampson, the former a native of New Jersey. Joseph Hampson and wife, nee Hazen, were the parents of three children, — Lydia, Harriet and Daniel. When Daniel was seven years of age the family home was changed from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, where he grew up and married Miss Mary Biddle, also a native of New Jersey. She was a daughter of Timothy Biddle, of that state. Daniel and Mary Hampson had nine children, four sons and five daughters, namely: John B., Catherine, Lucinda, Hannah, Ezekiel, Wiley, Mary, Nancy and Thomas; and of this number John B. is the only one now living. The father died at the age of fifty-six years; the mother at seventy-six. In early life they were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, but later united with the Cumberland Presbyterians, and Daniel Hampson was an elder in the church for a number of years. John B. Hampson married, in 1838, Miss Ruth Bane, a native of the same county in which he was born and a daughter of George and Rhoda (Clutter) Bane, both natives of Washington county, Pennsylvania. To John B. and Ruth Hampson were born four children, as follows: Mrs. Mary J. Oller, who died in Washington county, Pennsylvania; Mrs. Charity Ann Berkhimer, of Humboldt, Iowa; John E., whose name initiates this review; and Joseph Alexander, of South Ottawa, Illinois. John B. Hampson, like his father before him, is identified with the Cumberland Presbyterian church and is an elder in the same. Politically he is a Republican.
Returning now to John E. Hampson, we record that when he was a youth of seventeen years, in 1865, he came with his parents to Illinois. Farming has been his life work. He is the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of fine land in Farm Ridge township, devoted to general farming and improved with good house, barn, orchard, etc.
Mr. Hampson was married, February 24, 1874, to Miss Eliza Walley, a native of Illinois, born in Farm Ridge township, LaSalle county, daughter of Samuel and Eliza (Hera) Walley, the former a native of Chester county, Pennsylvania, who came to Illinois in 1841; the latter a native of Philadelphia. Samuel Walley's family comprised the following members: Louisa, who died at the age of twenty years; Elias, a resident of Deer River, Minnesota; John, a resident of Cedar county, Iowa; and Mrs. Hampson. Mrs. Walley died in 1871, at the age of forty-six years: Mr. Walley, in 1896 at the age of eighty-three years. They were Methodists. Mr. and Mrs. Hampson have seven children, namely: Lura B., wife of Charles E. Woodward, of Ottawa, Illinois; Birdie M., wife of George Hopple, of Arlington, Nebraska; and Ethel, Ralph E., Walter W., Nelly R. and Lloyd, at home.
Mr. Hampson has always manifested an interest in public affairs, especially those of a local nature, and has served acceptably in an official capacity. He is at this writing one of the township road commissioners, and for twenty years has been a member of the school board. He is politically a Republican and fraternally a Knight of Pythias. Frank and genial in manner, honorable and upright in all his dealings, he is a man who has the confidence and respect of all who know him.
Extracted 26 Dec 2016 by Norma Hass from Biographical and Genealogical Record of LaSalle County, Illinois published in 1900, volume 2, pages 415-417.
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